What needs a rootstock?

ibarbidahl(9 (tampa-ish))May 16, 2013

I'm starting a new project and I am admitedly a complete and total novice at rooting. So, I thought what better place to start than to come and ask advice here?

I plan on starting as many different types of edible trees and bushes as possible in the next few years for transplanting up onto what will eventually be our homestead property in Alabama. Meanwhile I have no intention of stopping what I do here, so no worries there!

The only things I have ever rooted are sweet potatoes and a geranium. Both by throwing them into water and waiting for roots to form and then potting them up. I'm thinking that isn't good enough for making new trees. LOL. So PLEASE feel free to throw advice my way. I DO plan on doing plenty of research, but still wisdom gleaned by way of doing is always more valuable.

So for now I have several things in my yard that I can propogate if they don't need rootstock - but I know that Apples and peaches do need rootstock.

Any other ideas of (perrineal) edibles that will live in zone 8 I can work on finding around here?

I'm also trying to figure out where in the world I'm going to keep all these cutting/rootings for their best chance of survival. I may need to set up a seperate small sprinkler so I can manage their watering a little closer for the first couple months.

I am getting excited to think that I'll have an established orchard to retire to instead of retiring and then starting an orchard. How cool! There is currently 12 pecan trees there that are OLD so we plan to plant a couple of those as well to make sure the old one have replacements. I'll miss tropical fruits, but at least these trees will have time to be fully grown if I start this project now and work towards a goal of 10 trees a year plus bushes for the perimeter. :-D

Most tree fruit that I am aware of require grafting. From seed a root stock is created. After a period of time, a year or 2?, then the top is cut off and immediately add fresh cuttings from a fruit that is desirable, in a special splice, to the rooted plant. Special seeds should be considered. So you need rootstock and grafting knowledge. Good luck.

Congrats on the future plans! sounds interesting and lots of things to learn. Your best bet will be to get the UC Davis free cuttings, you are probably late for this year but you can do the next one, find out everything and put your name on the list, a lot to choose! you will have to do some research. Last time they had dormant cuttings of pomegranates, persimmons, figs,mulberries, etc. I put my cuttings under the shade of a tree till they get some roots, then I transplant them in 1 gallon pots. Next time that you come to a party in my house, I can have some cuttings for you, currently I have some fig cuttings under the avocado tree.

I'm so excited for this project! I"m off to google the UC Davis project/thing! :-)

I remember when you first got the persimmon it was the same time I got mine and yours is doing much better. Mine is not on a good watering system now it's still just an infant because of that. The sprinklers just don't reach well on that tree so it's mostly dependent on rain.

I think I may actually have Rich talked into a potting table. He's always hated them - so this is HUGE!

Woah!
OK, I must just be a nimwit because when I went into the database to search I just could NOT figure out any way to look for the plants. Unless I knew the specific genus I wanted or the code they used to clasify it... Ah, well. Guess I'll work a little harder here at what I'm starting first. Once I get my first cuttings under my belt then I'll go looking for trouble. ;-)

Barbie, I just saw the other day Derek's garden, remember with the ground cherries? well he is the king of propagation! lol he got huge tables and so many plants, nice trees to give him shade and a lot of fruit trees, I think he said over 40 varieties. I can see you in your future like that, very busy making new fruit trees.

The persimmon I got it when I went to Just Fruits and Exotics, it is a miracle it survived because it is been hit by the lawnmowers so many times. The big fig tree that produces very well is an old variety planted by the settlers of my area, it started producing the first year, everyone that tries my fig jam loves it! it is really no care tree.

I like thornless blackberries for growing, they propagate so easy and are not particular about soil or sun requirements. It should be a very interesting project for you and yes the bench or a large table will help with the work.

Silvia - I showed him your greenhouse and he's all for one like yours. so I'm thinking that my Pom Wonderful and my Mango and maybe a couple choice citrus will be able to be kept in large pots and brought in for the winter. :-D

BR - After I get this project going I'll be exploring grafting next!

I've even got the hubby talking about hole cutting the bench so that the pots will fit into the top along the back! I think I've got him hooked on the idea of making as many of our own starts as possible. I'm excited, too because it will help me expand my knowledge base. Science has always been my strong suit. Maybe my teenager can use some of this for his High school classes, who knows.

First thing I'm going to try will be the blueberries since they are what is making the healthiest shoots and seem to be the easiest candidate at the moment.

Barbie, sounds like a great project for the whole family! If you get hubby and teenage son interested, it will be better. Greenhouse for Alabama will do great and you can have your tropicals there. You can have something like the orangeries from times past. Fruits and Exotics have build up permanent structures to protect the citrus when it gets cold.
You can probably learn grafting watching YouTube videos, everything is available in the internet for learning these days.:)
Keep us posted...

Where you live you should be able to root almost anything. When I lived in Vero Beach, Florida that was my main way to get new plants. Hibiscus, ficus, camelias, vining houseplants and African violets. Bouganvillas need to have a 12 inch cutting. At least that's what I was told. I root in soil. Your roots will be alot stronger if you do that. Water roots are weak because they don't have to push through the soil.

I have gifted many a pomegranate, and have 5 started now for planting this fall in Alabama!

This project started out very slowly, but as of this weekend I have 20 trays for 6 - 1 gal. pots each. That's 120 pots and 1 or 2 plants each pot for a total of aprox. 200 plants. I'm excited about this and the only glitch is that the pinefines and soil I need is only available by the truckload so I'm trying to figure out where I'm going to keep that much at!?

My beds can all be topped off again, but I have to find a new way to attach the bricks to my metal bins... and that's another story but suffice to say the corners fell of and the bins are slowly emptying themselves. LOL

The focus this year will be poms and blueberries again. I would say that starting with poms was the smartest thing I could have done. They rooted easily and didn't take a lot of care other than watering evenly. The first set that I rooted actually bloomed this spring and that is SUCH a great feeling.

I'm holding off on the peach propagation due to my trees seeming week. I think I'll get a few trimmings from the trees we bought that are better suited to Georgia/Alabama and use those to start with.

HAHA! THe first post didn't go through and I forgot to add the pertinent information back in. *blushing*

These are all blueberry plants! The ones on the left are Jewel (20) and the ones ont he right are a new variety that is not patented. It's calledPrincess Norah. The berries are a bit smaller but much sweeter.

Now I'm starting to get excited and thinking of places to put these little children as they get larger. Some will travel up to Alabama but that will wait until next year when their root systems can handle less attention and the plants are hardier overall.